AFL may alert clubs earlier on drug use

AFL CLUBS would be informed earlier if a pattern of drug-taking was emerging among their players, under potential changes to the league's illicit drugs policy.

In an interview with Fairfax Media, AFL boss Andrew Demetriou and league medical director Peter Harcourt said they were considering tightening the rules so clubs are informed after two positive tests are returned at a club within six months.

At present, chief executives are notified by AFL doctors after three positive tests are recorded within their club, but some have argued they need to be told sooner in a bid to respond quickly to an emerging drug-taking culture.

The testing trend alert, designed to flag patterns of drug use within clubs, is separate to the ''three-strikes'' policy, which deals with individual players.

In November, Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert said illicit drug use was the biggest issue in the AFL, and warned of ''volcanic'' player behaviour during the off-season.

Under the changes being proposed by the AFL, player identities would still be withheld from club bosses, but the concession to flag concerning trends sooner is believed to be a move to appease chief executives who will meet at a drugs summit on Wednesday.

Demetriou revealed that other issues to be considered at the conference included:

■Limiting the number of times players can admit to AFL doctors they have recently taken illicit drugs, which allows them to avoid a positive ''strike''.

■Increasing the off-season period to ease the ''pressure cooker'' environment that can lead to drug use and binge drinking.

■Tightening the AFL's alcohol policy: 96 per cent of players who tested positive for drugs last year were drinking at the time of drug use.

■Tackling mental illness: 50 per cent of players on a second strike have serious mental health issues.

■Responding to the increasing availability of drugs among players' friends.

While Demetriou insisted the illicit drugs policy's medical model - which avoids naming and shaming players and focuses on education, treatment and counselling - was working, he conceded the system was not picking up all drug users.

''I'm sure that whether it's performance enhancing or illicit drugs, that there would have been players who might have experimented and might have beaten, or not been caught up in the testing regime,'' he said.

''We test through the off-season with hair now for statistical purposes and that has shown some results, so obviously there are players experimenting …

''But we know we've shifted the behaviour of players. We've saved players who have got serious medical conditions and assisted them. It's very effective but it doesn't mean you don't scrutinise your policy to improve it.''

Figures on last year's drugs tests are due at the end of February, and Demetriou has indicated an expected upturn in positive tests.

Dr Harcourt said footballers were increasingly being offered drugs by friends outside their clubs.

''We talk to the players about where they get their illicit substances from, whether they paid for it, who was present at the time, whether it was at a club function,'' he said.

''In the last 12 months we've noticed drugs are becoming more available and it's just readily acceptable in their peer groups. You'll say to the player, 'Why did you do this?' And they say, 'I just wanted to be normal. I wanted to get out of the fishbowl …'

''Two years ago it was certain nightclubs, certain bars where they would get the substances; now it's rural, it's country, it's cities, it's homes, it's groups. It's just everywhere.''

Demetriou said one of the key issues the AFL, clubs and the Players Association had to get right was footballers' work-life balance. The league is considering whether a longer off-season may help alleviate pressure.

''The obsession to succeed now at a football club, from the CEO to the coach to the sports scientist to the players … is incredible.'' he said..

''So when they're not at the club it's no wonder they have this release. Even when they're supposed to be on breaks they still train, they have watches strapped to their wrists to find out whether they're running. Illicit drug use and binge drinking are byproducts of a very disciplined environment, and I don't think we've got the balance right yet.''